


Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect

by Rabbit



Category: Fallen London | Echo Bazaar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 16:39:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabbit/pseuds/Rabbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you were an Affectionate Devil or a Quiet Deviless, how would you go about making Delicious Friends... and parting them from their souls? Spoilers for the <i>An Intimate of Devils</i> storyline.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Playfield

**Author's Note:**

  * For [emilyenrose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyenrose/gifts).



> A fairly direct re-writing of the Intimate of Devils storyline, from the perspective of the Affectionate Devil and the Quiet Deviless. Game-Format, to the extent that the Archive will permit it; sadly, one cannot actually test qualities here. Chapter 1 contains the actual progression, chapters 2 and 3 contain success and failure results, respectively. I feel like an utter cad for not including partial success results, (as well as having combined some things and allided others) but we work within the time and limitations we have. And, well, the Abstraction bits have a considerable amount of license taken; hopefully it is agreeably so.
> 
> Some actions are indistinct in the original as to what devil is involved; if the devil in question was Female, we have assumed it was the Quiet Deviless, for the purposes of this piece.
> 
> The easiest way to read the piece is to click the failures first, as there's a link back to the same level at the end of each, and then each success, which advances the player to the next level, in general. There is probably a better way to do it, but then, I was the genius who involved writing something that involved coding at the last bloody minute.
> 
> Cheers, and merry Yuletide!

###  Affectionate Devil: A Delicious Neath-Dweller has captured your fancy...

Not that it takes a great deal of effort to get your attention, but there is something particularly... glimmering about this one. So much untapped potential, so Ambitious. So many places this could go, if only they're susceptible to a little flattery... 

**Spy on them** _(available at any time, to increase your Preying on Neathy Morsels quality)_

Y ou lurk about their lodgings, observing their comings and goings, their desperate struggle to improve their lot from A Smokey Flophouse to somewhere more chic, perhaps in the tower of eyes... you wonder if the offer of a nice, warm, private room at the Brass Embassy would capture their fancy... 

_Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**Send an Invitation** _(A Persuasive challenge, unlocked with Preying on Neathy Morsels 5)_

You send round a spray of flowers with a letter on heavy cardstock, perfumed with brimstone. Your tone in the letter is suggestive in the extreme... forward, to be sure. They're bound to be flattered... or at least, intrigued. 

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#satisfying)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#scandal)

###  Quiet Deviless: A desperate loneliness... 

_(unlocked with Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect 1)_

You wake in the evening with a horrible, ravenous hunger. Not the kind that consumes the poor souls who snack on the meats at the entrance to the Labyrinth of Tigers, but the old, familiar gnawing, the creeping chill that separates the Embassy from the true warmth of Hell. Luckily, a dear friend of yours has a charming new prospect he's introduced you to, who may be able to assist you in this matter... or at least, you'll learn something about their proclivities. 

**Be direct** _(A Persuasive Challenge)_

While you are taking coffee with your prospect at the Brass Embassy, you drop a few unsubtle hints about what you need, till you're certain they get enough of a gist to help satisfy you. 

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#company)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#talking)

###  Affectionate Devil: One Infernal Evening...

_(unlocked with Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect 2)_

Your pursuit of your Delicious Prospect is going along quite swimmingly so far. Now, let's see if they've warmed to you enough to meet you for dinner at the Long Spoon. 

**Send a rather forward note** _(A Preying on Neathy Morsels Challenge)_

It's worked so far...and devil though you may be, you've never cared for anything so tawdry as _deception_. 

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#dinnerdirect)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#dinnerfail)

**Send a more circumspect note** _(A Preying on Neathy Morsels Challenge)_

As much as you wish to repay ardour with ardour, it wouldn't hurt, in a case as delicate as this, to do some judicious self-editing... 

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#dinneraustere)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#dinnerfail)

###  Quiet Deviless: An Evening of Music and Possible Hellfire 

(Unlocked with Seducing a Delicious Prospect 3) 

You need an escort for a concert, and your Affectionate Friend has suggested the Delicious Prospect... and even offered to approach them about it for you. How very kind. 

_(a Preying on Neathy Morsels challenge)_

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#quiet)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#rejection)

###  Quiet Deviless: The Embassy Ball 

_(unlocked with Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect 4)_

It is time to integrate your Delicious Prospect a bit deeper into the revels and... well, society might term them debaucheries, but really, a formal affair in Hell is perfectly decorus, if attended in the proper style. And frankly, you want to show your splendid little morsel off. You're sure your Affectionate Friend won't mind, so long as you keep a close eye on your mutual prospect, and away from any would-be poachers... 

_(A matter of luck: it could go either way.)_

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#triumph)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#poacher)

###  Affectionate Devil: A Night at the Opera! 

_(unlocked with Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect 5)_

Between yourself and your Quiet Friend, you've got your Delicious Prospect quite saturated in the idioms of the Infernal lifestyle. Now it is time for a little trust on your part... you'll allow them to purchase tickets to an opera for you both to attend. It's not really a test... well, only a little test. You're terribly curious to see what they'll choose. 

_(A Preying on Neathy Morsels challenge)_

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#heavy)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#light)  
[Exceptional Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#operareject)

###  Quiet Deviless: Seeking Constructive Critisicm 

_(unlocked with Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect 6)_

Mortals love poetry, to judge by the crowds of Veilgarden, and they love being asked their opinion on it still more. A chance to allow your Delicious Prospect to show off their taste and erudition may well be just the thing to deepen your bond... you even pointedly muddled some of the metaphors and included a couple of exceptionally trite rhymes, just to give them something to poke at. An evening seated side by side, a book of poems between you, heads together, discussing meter, the warmth of their soul tantalizingly close... your flesh prickles just thinking about it. 

_(A Persuasive challenge)_

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#helping)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#halping)  


###  Duelling Invitations 

_(Unlocked with Seducing a Delicious Prospect 7)_

The pair of you have each made an impression upon your Delicious Prospect, and have come to rely somewhat on them as a creature of a certain refinement and taste. 

**[A game of croquet](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#croquet)** \-- (Quiet Deviless) Perhaps your Prospect has a friend they'll be willing to bring over for a foursome?  
 **[Dinner party dilemma](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#dinnerparty)** \-- (Affectionate Devil) You've planned a dinner party, but the hors-d'ouvres have been a complete disaster. Perhaps your Prospect can help? 

###  The Affectionate Devil: An elaborate gift 

_(unlocked with Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect 8)_

Your yearnings for your Delicious Prospect's soul is beginning to get the better of you. You find yourself lying awake, tossing and turning, thinking about the moment... not too far in the future now, when you'll finally... 

Well, nothing says you can't try to speed things along. You spend a long afternoon at the Bazaar acquiring all the things that mortals souls of discretion enjoy: stuffed bats and chocolate-coated lichen balls, and a particularly gorgeous diamond, which glitters wickedly on the inside in a way which you hope recalls your own eyes favorably. You send it round in the evening, then, after a decorous interval (exactly long enough for your Prospect to lift the basket and heave a gentle sigh of effort), you appear promptly, hope and expectations writ large upon your face. 

_(A Persuasive/Preying on Neathy Morsels Challenge)_

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#wanted)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#nothanks)

###  (Affectionate Devil) A leisurely boat trip 

_(unlocked with Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect 9)_

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#tour)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#noboat)

###  (Quiet Deviless) Tragedy! 

_(unlocked with Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect 10)_

You wake one evening to a deep and disturbing silence. Your precious pet bat, usually found perched on the overhang of your four-poster bed, lies crumpled on the floor, lifeless. You fall to your knees, distraught and inconsolable. Your housekeeper takes the initiative and calls upon your Delicious Prospect to come and see if they can't cheer you, at least a little. That, at least, casts the tiniest beginnings of a glow on the day, and you try to shore up your tears and put on a presentable face. 

_(A matter of luck: It could go either way.)_

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#eulogy)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#badpoem)

###  An Education in Abstraction 

_(Unlocked with Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect 11_

It shouldn't be said that either of you are willing to let a prospect enter into The Agreement without having at least some idea of what it is... or at least, of it's merits and benefits. 

**[Affectionate Devil](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#education1) **

**[Quiet Deviless](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#education2) **

###  Whose Turn is it Anyway? 

_(unlocked with Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect 12)_

You have both worked so diligently and so effectively at your pursuit of your mutual Delicious Friend. But which of you will get to do the honors? 

**The Affectionate Devil**

You chose the lamb first, after all; it is only fitting that you should get the sucking of the bones. 

_(A Preying on Neathy Morsels Challenge)_

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#finally)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#almost)

**The Quiet Deviless**

Although you were introduced to the Delicious Prospect by your associate, you've always had the sneaking suspicion that they secretly like you best.

_(A Preying on Neathy Morsels Challenge)_

[Success](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206212#yours)  
[Failure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2206276#almost)


	2. Successes

###  A Most Satisfying Reply

Your note seems to have hit the right cord... the letter you've received in return is every bit as salacious and encouraging as you could have wished. Considering your charms, could you have doubted? You pass the name along to a certain Quiet associate of yours along with a copy of the letter; you are certain that she will find this one every bit as intriguing as you do, and between you... well, anything could happen, and usually does, after all. 

_A twist in your tale! You are now Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level1)**

###  A Friend of a Friend

The Delicious Prospect is clearly moved by your plight. They take your hand, meet your burning, coppery eyes with theirs, and swear to you that you shall want for nothing, so long as you show them your favour... the Prospect disappears for a brief time, and returns with a staggering, but not unhandsome drunkard, redolent with melancholy and lost hope. One look into his marvelously... soulful eyes, and you hurriedly press a handkerchief to your lips, to conceal your salivating. You assure your friend that this one will do nicely, and you promise a suitable reward shall be sent to their lodgings. In the meantime, you depart for your own quarters with this new, entirely susceptible prey. 

It doesn't take long, but in this sort of situation, it never does. A few kisses, a few bottles of cheap wine, some mewling that barely registers as protest, a half-dribbled story about a long lost love who went away to become a Drownie, and it's all over. Unsurprisingly, he's too unstable to survive your hungers, and you have the bellhops remove what's left of him when you're done... after you've taken what little he possessed worth having, of course. Your appetites are sated... for now. But throughout the whole ordeal, you could not help but imagine what it would be like with your favored quarry in his place. Certainly, at the very least, that one would be far more... sturdy, not to mention more of a merry chase... dutifully, you have a quantity of brass sent round the next morning.

_You have lost 3 bottles of Greyfields 1879 _  
 _You have lost 9 Nevercold Brass Silver_  
 _You have gained 1 Soul___

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 2_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level2)**

###  How Extremely Thoughtful!

Souls! They shouldn't have! Well, of course they should, but even if one is being direct, one shouldn't seem _easy_. You restrain yourself to a deep bow and most sincere thanks, then engage in dinner. Your Delicious Prospect is a most charming conversationalist, and you find yourself enraptured as much by the conversation as by the movements and intensity of their soul beneath the skin... you still can't help but stare, now and again, in a dreamy sort of way, but you don't think they catch you at it too often.

_You have gained 50 Souls _  
 _Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 3_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing...___

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level3)**

###  A most pleasant evening

Your Delicious Prospect is a most charming conversationalist, and you find yourself enraptured as much by the conversation as by the movements and intensity of their soul beneath the skin... you still can't help but stare, now and again, in a dreamy sort of way, but you don't think they catch you at it too often. They're polite too, even though from time to time, they regard the steak on their plate as though it were a particularly well-seasoned shoe-leather. Ah well... mortal palates tend to have a difficulty with the preferred cooking times for meat at the Long Spoon.

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 3_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level3)**

###  Moved by Silence

The evening passes marvellously; your Delicious Prospect has a wonderful way of picking up on your every wish and preference, without requiring you to say so much as a word. In fact, they seem to find your silence refreshing, and enjoy the music (Schubert's rarely-performed Tenth) enough to almost relax and enjoy themselves. You smile with hopefully not-too-hungry delight. It is always thus in the beginning... the nervousness, the tension, and yet, the desire... At the end of the night, you gift them with a single whispered word: "Delicious..." 

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 4_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level4)**

###  A triumphant evening

Your Delicious Prospect clings to your arm in delight and awe at the marvellous decadence of the Embassy's ballroom. You casually guide their attention to the social niceties of the Diabolical: dance cards mixed into Tarot Decks, women lead, men dance alone, persons of indistinct gender... well, there are exceptions to every rule, after all. Either way, they absorb all of it like second nature. The heat of the dance floor only serves to lighten their footsteps from dance to dance. You are approached by numerous of your Infernal friends and associates, inquiring for details about your new friend, and whether you'd be willing to share... but you simply smile, give the barest shake of your head, and bare your teeth a quarter inch. They get the hint, and withdraw promptly, without anyone needing to be savaged. 

Your prospect is oblivious to most of this, but ends the evening wonderfully debauched, out of breath, dripping with sweat... and having made a most excellent impression on the Infernal dignitaries as well. Your own reputation is only improved thusly. 

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 5_  
 _Diabolic Reputation is increasing..._  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level5)**

###  A suitably weighty selection

Excellent! _Odin's Horse_ is precisely what you wanted to see, a marvellously atmospheric piece rendered beautifully in the gaslight theatre. You present your Prospect with a box of truffle-butter fudge, and spend the time between seating and the curtain entertaining them with philisophical chatter and broad discussion of the themes of the piece. While they listen, enraptured, you slip a small diamond into their pocket. Such a thrill to know you can get so close... not that you're the sort to manage things _that_ way, when a proper seduction is so much more satisfying. 

_You have lost 1 flawed diamond. _Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 6_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._ _

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level6)**

###  Well, you did ask...

...And your Delicious Prospect was cruelly honest, in the raw, refreshing way that mortals have. The truth stings, you cannot lie, but you must needs accept this as simply the flavour of the soul you have chosen. You thank them for their honesty in a coarse whisper. Eventually, you take their hand, in a small gesture of assurance that they have not mortally offended you. On the contrary, in fact. In the silent recesses of your mind, you are already composing another poem, an ode this time, celebrating the beautiful pain of Truth... 

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 7_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._ _inspired! is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level7)**

###  Mixed Doubles

You hold the game in a secluded part of the Tyrant's Gardens, and eye your Delicious Prospect's guest with interest. They do seem to associate with a most intriguing mix of society's cream, and boheamia's colorful... it is not that you want to be accused of planning _ahead_ , oh no, but it certainly warms the forever too-cold cockles of your heart to have access to so many bright and intriguing souls, so many of whom are all too willing to ingratiate themselves with you... and it doesn't hurt anything either to see that your Delicious Prospect is noticing how the other mortals fawn, and possibly taking it to heart. 

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 8_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level8)**

###  Deliciousness abounds

Not only does this give you a chance to assess your Prospect's awareness of the Season's latest fashions in cuisine, but it also allows you to show off some of the other Prospects and Special Friends of yours all vying for your favor. You wouldn't want your Delicious friend to think that you were to be taken for granted, after all! And from the effort they put forward, at the very least, there seems to be little worry of that, and the praise you lavish on your Delicious Prospect's efforts on your behalf inspire the jealousy of some of your other guests. It's a win-win situation. 

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 8_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level8)**

###  Just what they wanted!

The graciousness with which your Prospect accepts your gift is utterly moving. You sieze their hand in ecstacies of anticipation, and, after perhaps a tremor of hesitation, they do not pull away. So very beautiful... and possibly briliant... soon, you can feel it, soon... 

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 9_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level9)**

###  A lovely tour

Contrary to your wont, you keep it light, though you are keenly aware of how alone the pair of you are, together... you point out the more interesting sights along the Stolen River, and they listen with rapt attention. Your appetite is only whetted to keeness through your restraint. Such a torturous, but lovely game to play with oneself! 

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 10_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level10)**

###  A beautiful eulogy

Your Prospect bends the fullness of their art to lessening your pain. Their verse is simple and elegant, and when they've finished, your find your eyes dry, and your heart wonderfully moved. You favor them with whispered thanks, and some antiques which call to mind other, bittersweet memories of times long past... 

_You have lost 3 Relics of the Second City._ _Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 11_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level11)**

###  An education in loss and longing

Your Prospect attends with wide eyed curiosity, and spends most if the evening in quiet observance, munching on canapes while the other mortals-- those who long for it, and made up their minds and souls quite long ago, quiver with anticipation. You smile to see their hushed conversations with the other prospects, their furtive glances and hesitations as the truth of what Abstraction is, and how it works, and why it is so longed for begins to dawn upon them... ah, the moment of sublime revelation. It is a kind of loss of innocence, but one that results in a delicate seasoning of worldly knowledge, rather than spoiling. It is nearly time... assuming your Quiet Friend doesn't beat you to the punch. 

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 12_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level12)**

###  Sweet Jealousy

You invite your Delicious Prospect to a quiet, intimate gathering at your home, just you and a few close friends... or rather, other prospects, supplicating for your favor. They all bristle as you greet your Delicious one, which is exactly how you like it. Your Prospect cannot help but stiffen when your lips brush their cheek... they are still so new, so uncertain. This makes the others, yearing after the Honor, as they put it, even more jealous and eager. Which is, of course, what you wanted them to see. Either way, this night will be most satisfying for you; you can delay the pleasure of closing this deal a little longer... assuming, of course, that your Affectionate Friend doesn't hog the Moment for himself. 

_Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has increased to 12_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

**[Onward](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level12)**

###  AT LAST.

Now. The moment you've been waiting for. You sit together on the chaise in their lodgings, their hand in yours, and they listen to you speak. No parties, no lines, no hungry, longing mortal eyes... just you and your Delicious Prospect, sitting nervously on the very edge of the seat, looking into your eyes and waiting for the moment to spring away, before it is too late and their soul, their soul... 

Their soul shines through their eyes, and if the flesh is uncertain, the soul, you can tell, wants to very much to come with you and live in your bottles and be kept warm, in a special place close to your chest. You promise it all this and more, in murmured words. Your prospect nods along, mesmerized, and stays nodding, even when you've got the fork in your hand, glinting silver in the glow of the foxfire candles on the mantleplace. You hesitate a moment, describing the nature of the contract, the terms of the exchange, and your Prospect only hums along in response, as if the parameters of a soul exchange were poetry, were poems. But they are, aren't they? It is so very true. 

"Yes," you whisper gently, your scalding breath only warming the shell of their ear a little, "this won't hurt, I promise. And then nothing will ever hurt you again." 

And with that it is done, the moment passed. Your Delicious Soul lies safely in your pocket, and the emptied shell of its former owner lies sleeping on the chaise, blissful and empty. They are almost obscene, emptied like that, the mortal bodies... but there is something sweet too, a warm graciousness which spreads from the newly acquired soul and fills one with charity for the gift they have given you, the intimacy you have just shared. You leave your gifts on the side-table, and tip your hat out of habit as you go. It is almost a pity, that you will have no need or reason to come here again... unless, of course, they somehow re-acquire their soul, one way or another. They _have_ led you a merry chase, one of the finest you've experienced thusfar. It would be a pleasure, nearly, to suffer it again. Nearly. 

_You've lost 3 x Devilbone Dice_  
 _You've lost 2200 x Nevercold Brass Sliver_  
 _You've gained: Delicious Soul X 1_  
 _Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has been reset: an ending, or a new beginning?_

###  The Sweetest Moment 

You take your Delicious Prospect's hand and lead them into your bedchamber. They no longer falter at the door... you've never led them there for anything less innocent than a quiet read, or to comment on your dress or makeup, after all. But this time they know, as you do, it is different. There is something real at stake, and vital, and they don't know quite, if they want to give it to you. 

Which is quite all right. You murmur your seductions into their ear... the usual blandishments about the joys and dreams and delights of the life unencumbered, the pure freedom of the Soulless, how so many come to you, longing for it, yearning to be pure, to be empty, and clean. It is not that they do not hear your words, precisely, but that they are listening to your voice, and still better, are lost in it, entranced. At this moment, you know that they will give you anything you want, soul, flesh... anything. Oh, that you could want the flesh too, along with the soul! Oh, that the one were somehow enriched by the other! But you know it is the separation, the un-mingling, in which the beauty lies, where the true rarity and splendor of each glittering soul can be properly appreciated and cared for. You promise that you will take good care of their Delicious Soul, you swear on the words that none speak, etched in spires of brass. They flinch a little, and you see no harm in giving them a little of what the mortal part wants... you lay your scalding hands upon their flesh: just the barest of touches, to avoid nasty burns. This is a gift they are giving you; there is no need for scars. You carefully stroke the human skin, marveling academically at its softness, and the way the soul beneath the skin responds almost as hungrily as any devil, to your touch. You wonder, briefly, if they would respond this way to your affectionate friend as well, but do not dwell on that thought. This is _your_ moment. He'll have his, he always does. 

You refocus on your ministrations, drawing the soul, with the body, to a peak of eagerness and rapture, laid back so wantonly upon your bed. It is a surprisingly exquisite pleasure, bringing the conjoined Being to the very height of ecstasy and desire-- and then the fork, and then the lifting, so careful and so gentle, and then, the release. They are free, and you have your treasure, glowing and swirling in its own bottle. You could spend the rest of the evening in silent admiration of your new possession... but of course, there is the clean-up. But that, of course, is what you have timid maidservants for. You ring for yours and allow her to bundle your former Prospect's sleeping body back to their lodgings, and you find you can barely stand to look at it while it is being tidied away. Now that the hunger is sated-- for the moment-- it seems a gross, nearly vulgar thing, an embarrassment and a weakness. You shudder in a moment of quiet self revulsion. Was it worth it, after all? 

But then the gifts and contract are stashed upon the emptied vessel, it has been carted out into the gloaming, and you are alone with your treasure, so beautiful, so delicious in the moonish light trickling in through your window. Yes, oh yes. It is so very worth it. 

_You've lost 100 x Sapphires_  
 _You've lost 400 x Nevercold Brass Sliver_  
 _You've lost 50 x Flawed Diamonds_  
 _You've lost 3 x Dark Dewed Cherries_  
 _You've gained: Delicious Soul X 1_  
 _Seducing a Certain Delicious Prospect has been reset: an ending, or a new beginning?_


	3. Failures

###  Scandal! Outrage!

Apparently, your methods are a little _too_ direct for this one's taste. You receive a properly blistering letter in return for your gift; full of admonitions warm enough to make you long for the furnaces of Hell Proper. Perhaps you will need to... tailor your approach a bit more, to entice this one's affections. And those flowers were expensive too!

_You have lost 5 Nevercold Brass Silvers_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is decreasing..._  
 _Scandal is increasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#beginning)

###  Alas! But tell me more about yourself...

This one read you all too clearly, and likewise clearly, has no intention of compromising their morals on your account... at least, not yet. They are wonderfully charming company, however... you aren't quite sure how, but you find yourself divulging bits of your history and travels... through Rome, and other mythical places like that... well into the wee hours. In the end, they leave you feeling flushed and curiously... not satisfied exactly, but almost content, unburdened, as if you were a typical citizen of the Neath, rather than a visitor on an Infernal Visa, and a slave to your own perfidious nature. You feel a pang of regret, that you cannot have this feeling all the time, but it passes just as swiftly as you feared it would. Now, all you can do is hope that your Prospect doesn't turn those anecdotes against you...

_You have lost 24 Whispered Secrets_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is decreasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level1)

###  ...What do you even _eat_, anyway?

Perhaps you came on a bit strongly, perhaps not, but the idea of breaking bread with you seems to be more than your Prospect can stomach... at least right now. The letter they send in response to yours only makes the barest pretense of civility. No matter! You simply respond with a still more passionate missive. If someone this Delicious thinks they can ward you off with a few words at this late date, they have sorely underestimated you.

_You have lost 2 Stolen Correspondence_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level2)

###  A kindly worded rejection

It is phrased politely, but it is still a flat out rejection. Your cheeks chill with utter embarrassment, and you internally vow to let at least several weeks pass before you bother with this one again. 

_Diabolic Reputation is decreasing..._  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is decreasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level3)

###  Delicacies and Indelicacies.

Your Delicious Prospect clings to your arm in delight and awe at the marvellous decadence of the Embassy's ballroom. You casually guide their attention to the social niceties of the Diabolical: dance cards mixed into Tarot Decks, women lead, men dance alone, persons of indistinct gender... well, there are exceptions to every rule, after all. Either way, they seem utterly baffled by it all, and worse, their awkwardness is attracting some attention from the more feral and uncivilized members of your breed... the kind you wouldn't be caught dead associating with under normal circumstances. A timorous venture onto the dance floor ends in howling and a wicked set of blisters for your poor prospect, and a distinct black mark for your reputation within the embassy. You cannot help but feel a little sorry for the poor lamb you've taken under your wing... perhaps they weren't quite ready for that level of indoctrination after all. 

Ah well, there will be other opportunities. When they've ah... recovered. 

_Diabolic Reputation is decreasing..._  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is decreasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level4)

###  A bald insult.

UGH. _The Zailor's Wife_? Really? Gillibrand  & Searle have the worst habit of making mockeries of the dignitaries of Hell, and the Antimacassar lacks the... gravitas, the weathered splendor of the Imperial. It's a sign of poor taste indeed-- and more than that, it brushes uncomfortably close to being a blatant insult on the part of your Delicious Prospect. You narrow your eyes at them, uncertain of their intention. Oh, how you long to grant the benefit of the doubt... but it is ever your nature to be too trusting. In the meantime, you're out the cost of the tickets, dash it all. 

_You have lost 40 Nevercold Brass Silvers_  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is decreasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level5)

###  Philistine!

Apparently, your Prospect does not care for opera. Apparently, watching the lichens blossom under the Stolen Bridge would be more entertaining than an evening in your company watching the artistic delights of the subterrannian stage. How utterly disappointing. You _had_ hoped to have cultivated your Prospect to a more... refined level of taste by now. They shall require more work. You're not out any brass, fortunately, but this does mean you've a distressingly agonizing amount of effort left to put in... and worse, you suspect word of this is likely to get around. 

_Seducing a Certain Neathy Prospect is decreasing..._  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is decreasing..._ _Diabolic Reputation is Decreasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level5)

###  Philistine!

Apparently, your Prospect does not care for opera. Apparently, watching the lichens blossom under the Stolen Bridge would be more entertaining than an evening in your company watching the artistic delights of the subterrannian stage. How utterly disappointing. You _had_ hoped to have cultivated your Prospect to a more... refined level of taste by now. They shall require more work. You're not out any brass, fortunately, but this does mean you've a distressingly agonizing amount of effort left to put in... and worse, you suspect word of this is likely to get around. 

_Seducing a Certain Neathy Prospect is decreasing..._  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is decreasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level5)

###  The more fool you.

Your prospect is effusive in their praise, even lavish. You positively glow in the wake of their praise, and you take their encouragement that you share your work to heart, spending the next day doing the rounds in Veilgarden. 

Unfortunately, the properly bohemian audiences do not share your Prospect's feeling for your work. On the contrary, after the first couple of poems have made circulation, you have the sick feeling that you are going to be the subject of not a few subterranian wags' comic odes, in the near future. As little as you want to believe this, you cannot shake the feeling that your prospect set you up for this humiliation. Unable to stem your floods of tears, you immediately make for your Prospect's lodgings, to express your anguish directly. 

_You have lost 2 Proscribed Material. _Seducing a Certain Neathy Prospect is decreasing..._  
 _Preying on Neathy Morsels is decreasing..._ _Diabolic Reputation is Decreasing..._ _

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level6)

###  No, it is too much...

They are polite, but firm. The excess of your gift is an imposition on their friendship. Their soul, it seems, is of the school of Austerity, undelighted by mere and direct decadence... you summon what dignity you can through an unseemly bout of tears, and make your apologies. Another apporach is in order, clearly. 

_Preying on Neathy Morsels is decreasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level8)

###  there are plenty of fish in the Neath.

You like playing hard to get betimes, but it is distinctly irritating when they do it. No matter. You have another pliable, if less delicious prospect who is more than happy to take to the Stolen River with you this afternoon. You make sure to schedule your outing for a time when you know that your Delicious Prospect is likely to wander by and observe it as well. That will show them. 

_Preying on Neathy Morsels is increasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level9)

###  'How I wonder what you're at' 

Clearly, they have not put any real Soul into the writing of their verse. It is the lack of feeling, more than the lack of style and elegance that scores your heart even more deeply than it is already. Thusly, you feel no compunction about scoring their arm with your nails in return, repaying carelessness with carelessness before turning them out. 

_Preying on Neathy Morsels is decreasing..._ _Melancholy is increasing..._

[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level10)

###  So close, and yet... 

You knew, when you started this, with this one, that it would not be easy. They listen attentively to your offer, your descriptions of the sublimity of the unencumbered life, the simple beauties of soullessness... but they have no intention of actually _committing_ , today. Oh no, they wish to delay the moment still longer, toying with you, flirting with their release, and your reward. 

No matter, you have all the time in the world. And deep pockets. This is just a taste of what you have to offer. 

_You have lost Nevercold Brass Silver X28_  
 _You have lost Flawed Diamond X2_  


[Try Again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1096191/chapters/2205942#level12)


End file.
